The best hunting knife is the one that you have on you at the time you need to use it. If you are an outdoorsman or a hunter then you should know that there are many kinds of hunting knives that have been made for a variety of chores. In fact there is no one knife that is the best knife for “everything.” The main focus is to determine what you need your knife to do for you in order to decide what is the best knife to fit your needs.

So what is your hunting knife going to be used for? Will it be mostly for skinning? Is your hunting knife going to be used for wood craft and survival. Do you want your knife to be stainless or carbon steel? These are all major considerations.

Once you have laid out what it is that you want then you can choose a knife that will meet the standards that you have set for it.

Here are some things to consider when looking for a hunting knife:

Folder or fixed blade? The fixed blade version is the most popular with hunters and outdoorsman. Fixed blades are stronger than folders and are easier to clean, sharpen and maintain.

The shape of the blade is important. The best hunting knife for you is in direct relation to the blade shape. The standard blade shapes are drop point, clip point, and skinner. There are also modifications of these blade shapes in between. Skinners are for skinning. Drop point and clip points are for skinning and general woodcraft chores.

What type of steel do you want? There is no such thing as “the best steel.” All steels have their own inherent advantages/disadvantages. Stainless stays sharper longer than carbon, but is harder to re-sharpen in the field. Carbon is easier to sharpen but won’t stay sharp as long as stainless.

Other things to consider will be hand ergonomics, material construction and sheath types. If you use a checklist like this then you will be able to choose the best hunting knife for your needs.

If you already own one or two knives that you now realize aren’t perfect there is no need for anxiety you can just buy more!

See also a related post, what you should look for in a hunting knife.